Recovery Week

As per the previous post, the week commencing 6 June 2016 was intended to be recovery. However, it was still one of my better weeks.

Monday and Tuesday no swimming just some light stretching.

4km on Wednesday evening after work with the flowerpot men, then rest again Thursday.

Friday I visited Simon at Bodybalance for some treatment, and ended the week with two excellent sessions in the river with Amanda. 

Friday was intended to be 2 hours which turn out out to be 2 hours 35 minutes (Amanda was late again!! so ended up doing the first hour and half alone) a pleasing 8km/5miles with no negative after effects other than a stiff neck from sighting.

Fridays route:

Saturday was a 3 hour session (as per video), wasn't feeling the love as I forced down the porridge but come lunchtime and 9350m later it was all over. So just 3 swims but  still 21+km.

Saturdays Suunto Movie:

The plan is 2 x 1 hour sessions in the North Sea this week followed by rest and eating like a pig prior to our visit to Dover for the brutal Champion of Champions event.

May

May has seen a steady progression in training as I work towards J2F. My tolerance to the water is building nicely, one of my training partners (Bill) had a fortnight away on holiday in Phuket, despite his worries of returning to the temperatures of North East England, they were short lived, he quickly hit the hour once more, only for me to disappear for a week in the sun with Kelly. 

I therefore had the same concerns having spent a week doing very little other than 4 swims of around 2km in the caribbean at a ridiculous 85ºf ! That said I was more than ready for the break.

Kelly and I returned home last Sunday (15th), once the jet lag subsided I managed 3 swims in the River with the usual suspects Bill, Amanda and Ben. 

The build up was gradual with increments of 70-100-125 minutes. Friday was our longest swim to date completing just over the 2 hours at 59ºf, the wind was quite strong which ensured we had a decent workout. 

Any discomfort was soon put to one side as we reflected on the massive achievement of Howard James, who this week set a new record for the earliest English Channel swim on 16th May, the water being 10-11º c. Now that is what I call hardcore. He is certainly in the same bracket as the likes of Kevin Murphy and Dave Morgan. 

The BLDSA Champion of Champions event will soon be here, therefore I will have a few more sessions in salt water shortly as the coastal temps have now just about reached 50f/10ºc

Onwards into the final week of May, with a  planned 10km on Bank Holiday Monday.

On Track .. (updated)

Bank Holiday Monday (May 2nd 2016) a glimmer of sunshine and a lull in the windy conditions allowed the River Tees temperature to rise slightly and hit the tropical heights of 8.9ºc / 48f (having been a bitter 7.2ºc the previous day in which we only managed 28 minutes).

This allowed us to finally hit the hour. It's amazing the difference 1ºc or so can make and how this impacts on your time in the water.

The route was a little messy (to the second boat followed by some internal circuits, not too far from the jetty) As we approached the hour, Amanda was keen for me to get out of the water as I was beginning to slur my speech. it was the correct decision as the later pictures show I was getting a little, err, less warm.

We are expecting fantastic weather this coming weekend which is typical considering I will be abroad on holiday. That said I have two more swims planned this week after work (Wednesday and Friday) with the plan to break the hour.

The after drop was quite severe, but at least I knew what to expect and how my body reacts. This is quite normal for me. 

Update:

For once the UK weather forecast has proved to be accurate, today May 4th (star wars day) Billy, Ben and I visited the river once more, where the water temps ranged from 10.5º to 11.5ºc. I was delighted to again complete the hour this time 66 mins covering 3284m the warmer water resulted in a far better recovery too with nowhere near the same after drop. Ideally Friday will be 90 minutes before we head off for a weeks rest in the sunshine. Happy.

April

We have been working quite hard in the grotty chlorine pit over the winter, the benefits of having regular training partners in Bill and Ben are massive, we constantly race each other during our interval sessions then put the world to rights in the sauna afterwards which is always funny and a great way to unwind.

With the arrival of April, it was time to make the dreaded return to open water, as always it would be mentally and physically tough getting back into the cool water. Last year I was late (mid May) starting outside and paid for it throughout the season.

Whilst the air temperature is fluctuating and the water remains below 11º, the plan as usual is restrict training to our local river, it's only about 2 miles from home and it's free. 

After this we venture further afield as the time in the water increases. 

The target and general benchmark for this time of year is 60 minutes at 10ºc. 

I've included a little map showing our normal start point of the Jetty at Preston Park and some markers we use as sessions increase.

Thus far we (combinations of Ben, Amanda and Bill) have 

8th 11minutes @ 8ºc 326m around the jetty area 

10th 21 minutes @ 9ºc 989m around the boats+

18th 17 minutes @ 8ºc 718m around the boats

20th 34 minutes @ 10ºc 1690m to first boat

21st 34 minutes @ 11º 1910m to tennis courts

25th 50 minutes @ 10ºc 2620 second corner and boats

27th 33 minutes @ 8ºc 1700m around boats and first corner 

30th 36 minutes @ 8ºc 1900m boats almost second corner left

I am yet to hit the benchmark, BUT, it isn't too far off (providing the sleet and snow stop!)

Amanda Bell.. A 'Cool' Windermere 10km

Amanda asked me some time ago if I would assist her with boat support for a swim on Windermere, on a date to be confirmed once the water temperature had dropped below 14 degrees. (it was nearer 12 today) I was very happy to assist on what turned out to be a 10km swim, the start of which was in far from ideal conditions. The strong wind from the south was sending waves over the front of the boat, it was more like swimming/boating in the sea than freshwater.

The plan prior to the start had been to head down from Bowness (South) to the large yellow buoy about a mile north of Fell Foot, where we would turn, however, very soon after the start, due to the poor conditions the route was altered in an effort to afford Amanda some protection from the worst of the weather. I took the boat into the flatter waters near to Ferry Nab where the water levelled out almost instantly. It was a different world, much nicer for everyone concerned.

Then the rain came.. in biblical fashion, this flattened the water further still and we had a pleasant tour behind Belle Isle and through the Lillies in the general direction of Wray Castle. 

By this time, the feeds had dropped to every 45 minutes, following the initial 2 at one hour intervals. It was however, too late. Amanda was already in depletion (she should have started on 30-40 minutes between feeds due to the colder water) and it would not be possible to fully recover/refuel. 10 miles would not be doable today.

She probably (hopefully) won't mind me saying that she was ready to quit at 7.8km, as a result of which she was given a portion of what we call 'advice'. I also asked Graeme to jump in and offer some morale support by swimming alongside. This definitely helped and there was a marked increase in speed (to the extent that Graeme had some difficulty keeping up). 

Having already made the turn we headed south to the jetty at Bass Rock where Graeme exited the water. As per the video we then adjusted the course to encompass a small loop simply to round up the distance to 10km and facilitate the return to the jetty in order to collect our support swimmer.

Great training swim in 'cool' water. Well done.

New Shores

Regular readers will be aware that most of my swimming at sea takes place in The North Sea at 'The Mecca' Seaton Carew near Hartlepool, situated to the North of the River Tees Estuary.

The Mecca as we jokingly call it has its pros and cons.

Positives: it's only about 10 miles from the house with major roads to and from, free parking is never a problem and there is an abundance of fish and chip shops for post swim scoffing!

Negatives: It's damn boring, swim too far North and there is no place to exit the water if difficulty is encountered, swim too far south and you come across the effluent outlet from the power station, (nasty stuff) therefore lengthy swims are restricted to a stretch of beach measuring about 1200m in length, yes, one can swim out to sea in triangular circuits, but thats far from the ideal especially when alone.

So, last week when I came across a social media post by Amanda Bell mentioning swimming at Saltburn I was sceptical but decided to accompany her, if nothing else then by way of a reconnaissance mission.

Saltburn-by-the-sea to give it the full title is situated on the South side of the Tees Estuary slightly south of Marske.by-the-sea (see photo above)

I was, to say the least, pleasantly surprised, there is a long stretch of sandy beach, several land marks for sighting and gauging progress, offering a far better place for longer efforts. Typically swims take place in the area of the pier (its over 100 years old)

However, another alternative, if you are feeling adventurous is to swim either to or from Marske, a distance of around two miles each way. Now, in my limited experience the tide and prevailing wind almost always pushes the water from South to North, hence swimming to Marske is easy, quick and very assisted. Swimming the reverse is tough, akin to swimming in an endless pool with little forward motion without concentrated effort.

Last Tuesday I swam part way to Marske and part way of the return journey, the water was fresh, however it was a glorious day and I actually caught the sun on my back after just over an hour.

Yesterday (Sunday 5th July) a few swimmers arranged to attempt the tougher of the two two milers from Marske heading south and into the wind/waves.

Saltburn is almost out of sight, but t is definitely there somewhere, it is just a matter of getting beyond the breakers and swimming parallel to the shore, eventually you will (should) get there.

The start location (not my photo) the first pic shows the initial land marks of the house on the cliff followed by the church steeple, after this there is little else until the pier comes into view exactly as per the second pic.

I enjoyed the swim though it was demanding, it was certainly tougher to complete 2 miles here than 10km last Friday at Ellerton. I am sure to use this venue lots more in the future and will have to stomach the greater distance at around 25 miles from home, a journey that can take 45 mins with traffic and minor roads. That said the benefits of training on these new shores are sure to be of benefit..

In closing I just want to congratulate Darren W who made his first venture into open water and breast stroked the swim in far from ideal conditions at 12.7c..a monumental effort for his introduction to open water swimming. congratulations.

PS

great photo of the pier when the sea was a little angry.

BLDSA Wykeham 2015

As previously mentioned, Sunday 14th June 2015 was the BLDSA Wykeham Championship. I have completed this one several times, the main reason being its geographical convenience. At 70 miles from home its is the closest event in the UK, apart from the wetsuit triathlon type crowded rubbish that does nothing for me.

Its seems to be the norm, that regardless of the weather in the preceding weeks and days, Wykeham is generally miserable, damp and windy. This year was no different, however, as alluded to elsewhere, I would certainly prefer poor weather for what can realistically be termed a training or build up swim.

No matter which words you decide to choose, train hard fight easy, expect the worst hope for the best, or God works in mysterious ways. It has to be a good thing to have challenging conditions whilst preparing for bigger and better things.

On arrival it was great to see several regulars including Mark Sheridan, Dee, Pat and Liane Llewellyn, Belly, Sarah T, Dom Gillespie, Jo Blackburn and many more, having registered it was just a case of waiting to start.

As can clearly be seen below, the event follows a multi lap triangular course. Side 1: was with a more or less following wind. Side 2: offered a head wind with Side 3: having right side minor chop. Nothing too testing but certainly sufficient to require a greater effort than swimming in a mill pond. Sighting was probably the most difficult aspect of the day due to the drizzle and the slight chop.

The water was reported to be just short of 15 degrees C though the ambit3 and my body for that matter indicated more like 16 degrees. The safety brief informed us that the course was measured at 1100m loops. I was therefore aware at the outset that a PB was not doable. Generally speaking, I manage the 5k in around 1hour 37 Minutes, last year the finis hydro tracker recorded a distance at 4999 metres ! 

This year the Suunto recorded as per the image below at 5460m in a time of 1:41:49 my official time on the certification is 1h 41m 42 seconds. The brief was more or less spot on.

Following the 5km event we warmed up, had a snack and some hot drinks, then prepared to re-enter the  water for the 1km event. I figured this would be good practice for the Champion of Champions, getting back into the cold water despite feeling toasty warm and comfortable. 

With Charlie kayaking as part of the safety cover, 19minutes 58seconds later it was all over.

The presentation was well attended with some touching tributes to persons no longer with us, then, as is becoming standard practice we had massive success winning several raffle prizes.

A great low key event, excellent facilities and friendly atmosphere. Thank you to all involved in organising, time keeping, first aid and safety cover etc..see you next year.

Event photos courtesy BLDSA 

Pool Punctuality and Planning

I cannot say in any certainty if my desire for punctuality stems from my upbringing or a military background, without wanting to sound like a total nerd, I do prefer to be Mr Punctual or better still 5 minutes early. This can lead to frustration for many men when waiting on the opposite sex to be ready, but how very dare I say such a thing when I am told its a lady's prerogative (so much for equal ops) (Don't shout at me Dr KT).

Anyway..getting to the point, Monday, after a weekend of parental duties I arranged to meet two swimmers. For the purpose of this tale they will be referred to as Billy and Mandy. ;-) The deal was to be at the pool ready to start in the water at 4:45pm. Being that we had only recently returned to anything like intense pool sessions the plan was to have a short interval session, max effort with plenty of rest.

I even sent Billy and Mandy a text message with the set.
It was simple enough, easily doable inside the hour and read like this

1 x 200 easy warm up
8x 100 max effort
4x 200 build to max effort
8x 100 max effort
1x 200 easy swim down
Total 2800m home for tea and medals.

I foolishly (I knew it was a mistake) arrived at the pool early, rather than the standard 5 minutes before, "that's ok" I thought, they will be here soon and proceeded to start a gentle longer warm up working on some drills to improve my hand entry.

900 metres later Billy arrives and we start the set.  By the time Mandy drags her sorry backside to poolside we had almost finished the 200s! She swims her warm up and joins in for the last 8 x 100 on max effort. Billy decides that's him finished, swims down and heads for the sauna, fair enough he worked hard and can leave.

Grinning (like a red faced Cheshire Cat) Mandy thinks (wrongly) that after 800m she is finished too!! Silly Girl.

I then have to commence the 4 x 200s AGAIN followed by another 8 x 100 just so she hits the yardage planned. She too then swims down and leaves with correct figures. Meanwhile Stupid Mark here has swam 5200m and has learnt a valuable lesson.

Don't be early YOU HAVE TO SWIM MORE
Don't let people be late YOU HAVE TO SWIM MORE
Be punctual at the pool

The names have been changed (kind of) to protect the innocent. No Cheshire Cats were harmed in the writing of this blog.

Amanda Bell EC Swim (video)

Are you a Giver or a Taker ?

That's the swim season pretty much over, except for a trip to Buttermere later this year to swim once more where it all began. (Amanda you are coming too!)

At times it feels like we have virtually never been away from The Lake District. At the outset I should take this opportunity to thank Charlie who has never complained, not even once when asked if he was happy to help others achieve their dreams or support other peoples business interests. Despite having had my fingers burnt, on the most part it has been entirely satisfying, fulfilling even emotional at times.

•Windermere with Charlie to pilot for one of Amanda's 6 hour swims (kick start her EC Solo prep.)
•Coniston with Charlie for my BLDSA 5 miler
•Ullswater with Charlie to paddle a 7 mile BLDSA event (for Phil Yorke)
•Derwentwater with Charlie to paddle a 5 mile BLDSA event (for Phil Yorke)
•Windermere with Charlie to Pilot for Kathryn's One Way
•Windermere with Charlie for my latest One Way
•Windermere with Jason to Pilot for Gavin's One Way

I am a firm believer regarding the importance of giving back to the sport whenever we can. Swims at all ends of the spectrum are officially recorded as 'Solo' however they are without doubt always a team effort. Not just the main events but our build up and training, which can sometimes be years in the making.

We should never lose sight of, nor neglect to be grateful for the unsung volunteers who give their time to support, be it in, on or around the water. Financially assisting us to achieve our dreams or remaining at home taking care of loved ones.

Personally speaking I get a real buzz witnessing like minded people achieve what they once considered the impossible.

So if you can, give a little back. It feels good.... I promise. and above all......

Interview with EC swimmer Amanda Bell Part 4 of 4

continued..

AB " I did consider stopping and asking them, but I'm not so sure I would have started again once I stopped, so I just kept swimming and swimming, the next thing was seeing the rib (rigid inflatable boat used for escorting the swimmer when the water is too shallow for larger vessel) coming off the rear of the boat which made me give a little YAY !! And then even though it came off the back it just sat there, at the other side of the boat, occasionally I would slip behind the boat and again I would see the rib. I'm not sure if this was deliberate from Eddie, I suspect it was, in order to give me a boost, then I would find myself at the front thinking YES The boat is stopping now it's getting really close, then we would go through the whole cycle again. With every stroke I took I was longing for the boat to go away, so that it was just me and the rib. I could see the vague outline of land ahead, but it was so dark I couldn't tell if it was really close or far away. It remained like that until such time as the rib crew said "That's it, you are there" it didn't change in appearance at all. I still had no idea how long, so I swam on and then I more or less bumped into sand. I was there. I had done it.

MR " How did you feel?"
AB " It was a real anti climax, I know this sounds really negative but it wasn't at all how I had envisaged it would be. Nothing like what had been going through my head for hours and hours. You know when you see videos of people in daylight, with lots of cheers and arms held aloft, it was nothing like that. It was pitch black. I couldn't see anything aside from a small light on the rib, and light further off on Anastasia. So I stood up, on the beach, alone, raised my arms in the air and said Yaay (spoken in a very soft unassuming lonely manner) pretty much to myself. I didn't look for pebbles it was pointless in the dark on a sandy beach. I just felt relieved. I suppose inside I was chuffed I had done it, it hadn't really sunk in."

MR " Did you cry"
AB " No, I just go back in, I wanted to get back to the boat and get dressed. I wouldn't get in the rib, there was no way, you know what I am like, there was only one boat I was getting on. So I swam back to boat and whilst doing so swam into the biggest almighty jelly I had encountered all day. It was so large and hard I thought my hand had hit the rib. I received a mild sting and made it back to the boat. I climbed aboard where everyone was fussing. I was grateful though I was still capable of getting dressed. We sat and chatted for a while. My priority was to let those closest to me hear the news in particular the children. The crew retired to the bunks so I got wrapped up and stayed on deck and rested til we arrived back in Dover. I felt better than at the end of the 2 way Windermere, no banging headache and there had been no vomiting. I pretty much stuck to the maxim and it wasn't a problem "

MR " Awesome, is there anything you would like to add"

AB "Yes absolutely, there are many people to thank. Firstly, thank you Mark for taking the time to interview me and write about my swim. Much appreciated! The many people who have helped and supported me along the way. I couldn't have done it without the support from lots of other swimmers not least Adam Walker for his technique sessions and Nick Adams for the Eton Camp. The many others for training with me, and of course Freda Streeter and the Dover beach crew. Mark Sheridan and his family for their hospitality. The kind words of support and understanding from all family & friends.



To my colleagues at work and for all the support and efforts of the pupils at OLSB. I thank you all. 

Thanks also to my Pilot Eddie Spelling his crew on Anastasia, along with my crew on board, Johanna Barkwith, Barbara Brown, Kathryn Ayre & John Mace. Ground control, that's you Mark, you were not only a great support during the swim but a major part of the build up and part of the inspiration in the first place, even though you won't like me saying that and probably won't include it. I want it in! Also to Charlie your son for giving up his days off to crew for miss in the water! (Amanda is Charlie's science teacher)

To Georgina for being incredibly courageous during exceptionally difficult times. An inspiration to all.

Final thanks has to go to my ever supportive children, Joe, Adam and Emma. They are simply awesome!"


MR " Amanda I am sure I speak for many many people, when I say congratulations, I am very proud, thank-you for you honesty. I am certain you have inspired lots of people, not only swimmers but everyday folk who think they are having a bad day. Thankyou for allowing me to part of your journey"

It is only right to include The Justgiving page to close.

Interview with EC swimmer Amanda Bell. Part 3 of 4

continued..

AB " Those first few hours were more worrying because I knew I had done them before, nobody would be impressed, your mind is continually trying to work out where you are, you don't know where you are, you haven't a clue, but you look for clues. You look to see how far the shore has gone and you look to see how far Suva is ahead !! (giggles) and you look to see if you can sight any big ships because you know when you do see those ships, you are heading towards the shipping lane. It was a constant pointless calculation, but there was soon something very major to think about. It was about 3 hours in and there was massive massive jelly fish,  greater than the size of a dustbin lid. If I could go again without the worry of being stung,  it would be great to just look, as there was so many different varieties that you would not believe possible. From the small ones you see washed up on the beach, to massive barrel ones, small heads and long long tentacles, you name it, I was stunned at the numbers."

MR " What was going through your head when you were seeing them"

AB " At first it was no no no they are horrible, they are massive, but they were quite far down, so it was a case of, oh that's ok then, I had spoken to Jason Betley on the beach who had just swam his solo, we had a discussion about when jellies come to the surface and when they sink down, was it when the sun was up or when it was down? I couldn't remember which way around it was !  I thought they are horrid but they are down there, I will be fine. Unfortunately that wasn't the case I was stung huge amounts of times probably between the fourth and the eight hour, it seemed as though I couldn't switch off and swim because I was constantly under the fear of the jelly fish, waiting for the next sting. There was even times when I was stopped swimming, back pedalled to go around them rather than be stung yet again. In hindsight that was probably stupid, but I couldn't help it. Some of the stings were really painful (shows evidence on forearms as she speaks)."

MR " During this difficult period did you every think I can't do this ?"

AB " Yes that was the 8 hour mark when I said to the crew, I'm struggling, what I meant by that was after eight hours I've got so long to go and I'm sick to death of looking for jellies, being stung by jellies, being frightened by jellies, I just wanted to get out"

MR " Was that due to pain or more mental fatigue?"
AB " It was more tired than pain, the stings are not pleasant, and in isolation they wouldn't be a show stopper, they do take your breath away but nothing more than that. Apart from that one (shows arm again bearing the scars) but that was later."

MR " OK we are around the eight hour mark, you're feeding was going to plan, on the hour for three hours, then every 45 minutes, when did you drop to 30 minute feeds?"
AB "That was at seven hours 30 (refers to written notes from crew) because I have asked them to and told them I'm struggling and yet I didn't quite know why, I knew I was sick of the jellies, it wasn't just that I had been swimming for so long and felt like I had got nowhere. Physically my shoulders had been much worse than they were, it was just wrong, everything was wrong. (sounds and looks sad reliving the moment) it's difficult for me to explain how I felt. I just couldn't do it. It was too big, I was wishing I'd never even started, but also in my head I knew I had not come far enough to have given this a good go, I had so much further to go. I still wanted to get out, it was just horrible and I was only eight hours in. I didn't ever think I was going to make it all away to France. Ever. Ever. It was so depressing, that all of the training and all of those hours and all of those people watching, sending those messages, telling you to keep going. I didn't think I was going to be able to bounce back from this low."

MR " Let's move on from this depressing phase you are going through"
AB "  Yes, well before the separation zone, I remember seeing ships each time I took a breath, I'm thinking OMG there are huge I did actually express this to the crew, it was sheer amazement that I was so close to these huge ships, however there was never a single moment that I felt worried about the ships. I had every faith in Eddie that he would keep me safe. The size of them and the number of them, it was totally amazing, if anything that was one of the highs. The separation zone was just fantastic, I could've swam in there all day, no jellies to worry about whatsoever if there was, it was tiny little ones.  I suddenly started to feel better, that I could focus solely on swimming. I knew I was halfway."

MR " Were you told that you're in the separation zone or are you aware of it due to the position of the ships behind you?"
AB " A bit of both really, I also asked to check. I referred to it as the central reservation after Michelle's (MGG) previous jokes with Eddie. That was the best part of the swim for me by far, I didn't have to worry about anything at all apart from swimming and that was great. That was the same time I was updated that Radio Tees had been on the telephone and that was also a lift just to know that somebody else cared and were interested."

MR" What was the next thing you remember, I appreciate you have been in the water a long time now, but from memory, what do you recall?"
AB " I remember at one point telling the crew that I was on my holidays and that's why I looked happy, I have since been made aware that was about 11 hours into the swim, at this point I didn't have a clue where I was, this is when the don't look forward comes into play, but again you can't help it, you can see France but then again you can see France from Dover! when you're in the water you can't, so the first sighting..well, it doesn't look that far away! I was clearly wrong, very wrong, but you perk up a little bit because you know you've done lots of hours, you can see France and you think you must be getting somewhere at last. However, I couldn't see any ships on the other side which felt really bizarre. There was hours and hours and hours when I thought I was still in the separation zone. And that made me have another lull because I thought I haven't seen any ships, I cannot be making any progress. That's the time when I should have just switched off, instead I was concerning myself with my location.

The next major thing and I always knew this was going to happen. I was asked to put in a hard hour, I had always made the presumption that this would be when we were close to finishing, this actually came at 14 hours. The message came to me from the crew, I had always been worried about this and questioned how anybody could do a hard hour after such a long time swimming. That said, my stroke rate went up and I managed to maintain the increased turnover. I was aware that this increased effort could be the difference between, saving a few hours, being successful or maybe being pulled. I just had to switch off. So I put in the hard hour, got to the next feed and was told that was great we just need another half hour like that!  So you can imagine how that felt. (shakes head) I lost count how many times they said just another half an hour like that just another half an hour like that. It was starting to get dark, but again I had no idea where I was. I just thought it must be only a couple of hours now, it was quite clear that France was much closer. I didn't expect at that point , there were still going to be another four hours. I wasn't getting anything information wise to tell me how I was doing, what progress I was making, nothing, just more requests for another half hour.

Then Eddie came onto the deck and I thought, this is serious. He gave me a little bit of a talking to and told me we were going to end up in a place he didn't want to be and I didn't want to be, basically told me to get on with it."

MR " Yes he actually tweeted that at the time, (making reference to Calais Harbour)"
AB " At this time I thought this could actually be the end of the swim, so anyway, I did give it another half hour, there was more feeds, but at one feed and I still didn't know what was going on. I did ask them how much longer? it was the only point I got annoyed with the crew, as the reply was something along the lines of as long as it takes. I was annoyed. I wanted some indication of whether we were on course, was it another 10 hours, just tell me, eventually I was told it was 3 miles. That made me think okay that's doable. At 16 1/2 hours I got my last feed and they told me it's about an hour to go. That wasn't telling lies, it was the information they had been given. They did attempt to feed me between again, but it would make little if any difference so to leave me swim. For me, in the water, it was awful those last two 2 1/2 hours, it should probably have been quite uplifting.  But I just kept on swimming and swimming and by this stage it was pitch black. I couldn't see the crew to get any indication and no feed stops to ask them."

Interview with EC swimmer Amanda Bell. Part 2 of 4

continued......

MR "Are you ok to carry on?"
AB " Yes, lets do this"

MR " So what about the night before, when the telephone rang."
AB " I got a text message from Eddie, just as we had put a film on to take our minds off it, I was struggling to concentrate on the film anyway, it was around 8pm, I noticed the text alert on the phone and who it was from and immediately my heart began to race before I had even read the content. The message basically said there may be a problem with the next swimmer in line and was I ready to go. It took a moment to reply "Ready when you are" Eddie answered stating that he was still out in the Channel with a completed successful swim and would give me confirmation as soon as he returned to Dover within a couple of hours. So we clearly had an hour and a half or so not to exactly run around like headless chickens but to ensure that I was ready if he said it was a go. It was a long two hours. After which the phone rings, it's Eddie and he says "We are on, meet at the boat 4 o'clock in the morning ready to go"

AB "We then started the routine of... we should really go to bed...but we can't go to bed, check and recheck everything once more, we actually again went to confirm the location of the boat even though I had been earlier in the week. We then packed the cars with everything except the feeds. I already had the maxim bagged up in the right quantities ready to put into the bottles to mix, but I wasn't really happy about the crew making my feeds up ! Once I had made the first bottle I let go of the control freak within me and let them carry on..but kept a watchful eye (giggles). Then it was finally time to try and get some rest"


MR " How did you feel at that point?"
AB " Oh wow, I don't even think I could begin to describe how I felt at that point, the timings were certainly going to fit in with my plans regarding crew and accommodation, but yeah, worry, nervous. My phone was going ballistic with messages from here, there and everywhere which was nice but everytime it buzzes you've got to check, meaning I was constantly on a state of alert, coupled with a mixture of emotions, but it certainly wasn't doom" (looks at me knowingly)

MR " So you are now all set for the off, what were biggest needs and fears"
AB "  (pauses for while) Me have needs !! (laughs) as you know we had a crew meeting before we left home and had others whilst in Dover, so everybody knew their specific role, there was lots and lots of questions but I had to try and explain to the crew that there would be times when they needed to use their initiative, to try and expect the unexpected, they did have the famous handbook from Nick Adams (Eton Swim Camp) that I had left them, which would answer many of their queries once I was in the water."

MR " Fears ?"
AB " Don't know about fears but I had many concerns, you know a lot of people are watching, you know lots of people have donated to the charities, you don't want to let anybody down. You want to be able justify their generosity, I was really worried about the journey to the start, you know that journey to Samphire Hoe ! I so did not want to be ill, my nerves were not about the swim but that journey to the start"

MR " Is your recollection of the swim clear or only the highs and lows are there any voids"
AB "  It's all pretty clear, no voids"

MR " OK this is it..tell me what you can remember"
AB "  When we got on the boat  I asked Eddie where we would be starting from, he told me Shakey.. I could have jumped for joy. We had been to the beach the day before so I knew where we were going and I knew what it was like, so I was ready at that point to get in and get on with it, the other thing was, it was dark however it was 4am, it was starting to get light. I would not have liked swimming for three or four hours in the dark at the beginning so that was good. I suppose another fear was that I would have a long swim to the start from the boat, I was relieved just how close to shore we managed to get. He said "We are ready" I just thought, great , I can get off this boat and into the water. It was a relief to get there and it was all going to be over one way or the other. I know that might sound bad but the training was hard work, it had become something I had to do, more than something I was enjoying. Every swim was becoming more and more pressure.

There was a moment right at the start when the crew thought I was having a change of heart, I went down the ladder at the rear of the boat, they thought I was hesitating to get into the water but I wasn't I was just making sure I didn't slip, bang off something before I even got started. And that was it, I was in the water and onto the beach. I noticed that Suva (Neil Streeter's Escort Boat) was next to us with another swimmer, I didn't click at the time, until we set off, then as Suva moved away at a much faster pace I realised it was Nick Adams.

The first hour went really quickly, I reckon we started seeing light within that first hour, first feed not a problem as are the next 2 to be honest, it was all moving along quite quickly, I didn't talk to the crew at the feeds, just had it and continued"

MR " What were you feeling aside from relief at this point?"
AB " I wouldn't say I was completely relaxed, I was trying to remember some of the advice, don't look back, don't look forward, it's impossible not to, especially at the feeds when you lay on your  back to drink ..it's just there."

Interview with EC swimmer Amanda Bell. Part 1 of 4

First and foremost thank you for the opportunity to conduct this interview, Whilst I already know what to expect from some of your answers, I thought it would perhaps be of benefit to some open water swimmers with aspirations to swim the English Channel.

At the outset I want to remind people that your swim was dedicated to Georgina and raising funds for the Teenage Cancer Trust / Cancer Research UK and additionally that it's never too late to donate to your charity on the just giving page here.

MR "When you first decided to swim the English Channel how long did you set aside and what specific training plan did you have in mind in order to build up to what is termed the Everest open water swims?"
AB " When I first booked the Channel swim it was to do a relay with a friend,  due to a change in circumstance and as time moved on, this changed to a solo, so I started looking at doing longer distances whilst training in open water, starting with a one-way Windermere in August 2012 (6h 15m) after which I was absolutely shattered ! That was a huge swim for me.
The next year I built up to a 2 Way Windermere (13h 42m in August 2013) with six-hour training sessions in various locations as prep."

MR " OK that brings us to 2014, what was your plan this year."
AB " Initially I didn't have a specific written plan, I just knew I had to swim as much as I possibly could. Looking back and hind sight is a wonderful thing, I don't think I did sufficient interval sessions in the pool during the winter. I certainly didn't complete as many as in the previous year. My training was virtually exclusively in open water even through the winter. "

MR " Do you think that is partially down to the crazy idea of doing an ice mile!? "
AB " Well yes, although it was never really planned to do an official ice mile, I just really enjoy open water, and pool stuff ,well, it's just not the same. That said, it did make a big difference coming to April May time when I was easily able to complete a couple of hours whilst most other open water swimmers were only just starting outside"

MR " So once the open water season started in earnest did you have some targets that you wanted to hit"
AB " Yes, early on it was to get a two hour session as soon as possible. I was keeping an eye on social networks to see who was doing what and where, as a bit of a benchmark to see where I needed to be, after which I just wanted to build up and get as many six hour sessions as possible bearing in mind I had to juggle my swimming with work and family. "

MR " What do you consider to be the most tough or the most beneficial training sessions you did this year?"
AB " They were all beneficial and they were all tough in different ways, one of the hardest things is when you know you haven't been in the water as long as you should, not because you are tired and not because you can't physically do it, just because you can't be bothered. I think the most beneficial will be the seven and six-hour at Dover with Freda's beach crew. I know certainly for myself and a friend, I don't think he will mind me saying we both (Mark Sheridan and I) then considered we had a chance of being successful. Then of course the Seaton Carew swims (she laughs and smiles knowingly) some of which were not successful due to our friend Sammy the Seal !!! "

MR " Am I right in assuming that the swims you consider to be of greatest value were mentally tougher than physically demanding?"
AB "Definitely, I don't think there has been many swims and I know this might sound silly, but physically it was never an issue. Sometimes it's plain boredom."

MR " Thanks for that,  let's jump forward to closer to the big day, I would like you to tell readers about the days prior to your swim following arrival in Dover at the beginning of your tidal slot"
AB " Once we arrived in Dover I kind of made the rule with the crew that we weren't going to have any talk about the weather and if and when I might go, that was going to be entirely down to Eddie (Eddie Spelling Anastasia pilot) it would be pointless to speculate. I tried to distance myself from the whole business of Channel Swimming, yes we went to Dover beach where I swam with others and that was great, but I only did an hour or so. And didn't even get told off by Freda which was quite nice ! I didn't want to get on the treadmill of ..it could be today, it could be tomorrow.  I had some highs and lows that's for sure, though my only big worry was not getting the opportunity to start the swim. I just had to believe that it would work out. Despite trying to distance myself from it all we did visit Varne Ridge which may not have been the best idea. Seeing all the plaques of successful Channel  swimmers, then...obviously...seeing the two plaques for Susan and Paraic really made it hit home, I think the crew were really excited, however for me it had a massive emotional impact."

pause to gather our thoughts and pay respect to lives lost.

Its been a while

As the title states, it has indeed been a while. I miss writing for the site so a long overdue return is happening. I have some exciting ideas for writings and interviews, but first of all a little of what has been going on in my world of swimming.

For the benefit of those who don't know me in person, I more less took a break from almost all things swim related until the beginning of 2014, starting back with the usual monotonous pool sessions. If I am totally honest these outings did not stand the test of time for two reasons, firstly just as I was getting some form and fitness back the grotty pool closed for refurbishment (it looks no better and is certainly no cleaner) and I was pretty bored.

So there I was festering away whilst attempting to cope with some other testing matters (mostly work related) when out of the blue I was called by Joe Hunter (EC 2011) who, to my horror , asked if I fancied a swim at the lake.

It had been 616 days since I had swam outside, so I knew it was going to be a shock to the system, and indeed it was. I was cold, out of breath and acting like a total new starter. This however proved to be the kick up the backside I needed and I was soon making regular trips to the river, mainly with Amanda Bell who I had promised to help where possible with her up and coming EC swim during the first August neap tide.

Anyway, I re joined the BLDSA and swam the Wykeham Lake Triangular 5km on June 8th in 1h 37m 45s which was more or less exactly what I had managed in previous years with a fraction of the training. 

I was my finis hydro tracker to map swims as above until it gave up the ghost during one of Amandas six hour efforts on Windermere. Its an excellent bit of kit but I am growing increasingly frustrated at the customer services regarding replacement

Next up in terms of events was Sun 20 July BLDSA Coniston 5.25 miles which I swam in 2h 41m 21s thrashing my new found swim pal Gavin Wilde by a full 40 seconds ! (sorry Gav, couldn't resist)

Finally bringing you right up to date was last weeks swim. A 1 way Windermere about which I will add further details on a future post, suffice to say I was delighted to brake my PB by 12 minutes swimming the 10.5 miles in 5h 46m 56s. More to follow very soon.

Back to it......

Last week proved to be rather testing due to over indulgence on the alcohol front, first of all on Friday KGB and I had our annual Christmas visit to York, where she forced me to drink copious amounts of Guinness, then.. despite my delicate state of well being I was dragged to Amanda's on Saturday where I was once again subject to yet more alcohol in the form of bottled lager and red wine..To say I was rough when we left in Simon's taxi at 3 am is an understatement. It didn't help with Amanda jumping on the spot chanting 'Amanda Bell 1 Robson 0 !! (I jest you not, she was actually doing this, it is one of the few things I remember) All of this binge drinking made me feel guilty as well as ill.

So today I went back to the pool with a vengeance, the plan was to do a set I last swam on April Fools day...just over three hours later I had completed the dreaded 100 x 100 (10km) I was suffering around the 75 point and undergoing a bit of a mental blip. Another 25 repetitions later and I was all done. I drank two 75cl bottles of juice (no carbs) a few jelly babies and courtesy of Lisa Cummins' great idea...a packet of sugar loaded skittles.

Very happy to have completed this 'monster set' and dont feel quite as guilty now after the blow out.

All that Guinness and The Buoy at Seaton talk did however encourage me to post my favourite advert. Enjoy

Getting Serious

A little over due with this post for a number of reasons, but better late than never.

As stated on the last post, Robin and I arranged to meet with Jax Higginson at Seaton Carew on 22 November. She wanted to join our little 'buoy club'. Despite the fog everyone arrived on time and after some brief intros we were headed into the water with the intention of doing a minimum of 60 minutes. Jax gave us some info re her pace, which made us think she would be slightly slower....how wrong we were...a dark horse to say the least, Rob and I needed to put in a very big effort just to keep up...anyway, as we reached the buoy the fog lifted and the sun appeared, rounding our orange friend, we swam south for about 8 minutes in order to complete the first half hour.The plan was then to return to the buoy, have a quick welfare check then back to the beach. This way no matter how much you feel like it there is no quitting before the agreed time due to the distance from shore. Rob failed to stop for the 'check in' preferring to get keep moving, I knew this meant he was feeling a little cold, so I continued swimming with Jax on my left and Rob to the right. 62 minutes later we were all done, the water was 52f /11.1c A great swim, with Rob receiving some stern advice re his post swim routine needing to be muck more slick and coordinated.

After a couple more pool swims I arranged to meet with a few other locals from OWSNEE on Saturday 26 November for yet more individuals who wished to try the buoy swim...It was blowing a gale, however Magic Seaweed predicted no incoming swell. 13 swimmers gathered, we had a safety briefing before heading into what looked like flat water. Before too long we had a wind against tide situation, I reached the buoy in challenging but not the worst conditions and thought I would be the only one today. The fight to get back to dry land was good fun and I fully expected to be the last out. To my surprise around ten swimmers were still in the water. I quickly dressed and waited on the beach as the remainder slowly started to appear..the comments that followed on the facebook group indicated that most if not all found it extremely tough, to the point of being frightened. I was delighted that a safety brief had taken place and that most had swam in groups...slapped wrists for those who did not listen!...yes that's you Amanda Bell.

Yet more pool sessions before December arrived and the prospect of swimming outside into the final month of the year...Another planned session with Rob on the 1st of the month, we agreed to swim to the buoy and straight back as the air temperature was dropping rapidly...out to the buoy in the 50f /10c water, all felt good, we stopped for the standard check in, I moved from the horizontal to tread water and suddenly felt dizzy..I told Rob and we headed back to shore without delay...the spell of dizziness seemed to subside once swimming again. We both made a good recovery and headed off home. I was a little worried for a couple of days afterwards and hoped it was a one off incident.

Sunday 4 December and yet another visitor to join the club, this time in form of Channel Swimmer Dee Llewellyn...now I am not saying we are rubbish, but, Dee needs to wear Tee Shirt and shorts for extra drag to give us the slightest chance of keeping up! She is rapid to say the least. The air temp had dropped to 5c, with the water continuing to drop by the day, today my watch was showing 49f as we rounded the buoy, another great swim with no dizzy spells..I was more than happy. And this time even Amanda listened to the brief ;-) The only negative was me having to head off for an 10 hour night shift.

The following morning after a few hours sleep, I gathered my flask, swim kit and warm clothes, having arranged to meet Joe, Amanda and Katherine for another dip at Seaton. The ice on the road at home almost prevented me getting the car off the drive. That said, a short time later we had gathered in the car park, we began to shiver before we were even stripped. The air temp was around 3c, it was windy and I was tired. The breakers looked big from the safety of the cars, so it was no surprise to find them above head height as we waded into the water. Amanda will not mind me saying she had some doubts, (the breakers are not her favourite thing). However we soon cleared them and began to make our way out to sea in the direction of the buoy. Joe and Katherine (in her wetty) leading the way, the strong wind was helping us make good progress, however the water was only 48f / 8.8c combined with the air and wind made it a bit chilly (see Donals precise temp guide on the link)

I met Joe at the buoy..we laughed about the temperature and the battle that lay ahead to get back to shore, we were in good spirits, it was like being back in April. I could not see Amanda and felt certain she was already headed back. In a matter of moments I was separated from Joe, I was struggling to sight. Making a direct line to safety was almost impossible. I knew from the many swims here with Joe in similar conditions, to just get my head down and swim hard, attempting to keep my stroke long and swim under the oncoming waves and chop.

Surrounded by white horses, I stopped to confirm my position/heading, I had drifted north about 150 metres from the buoy, I glanced Amanda in the distance and was horrified to see her still heading to the buoy. Despite my best efforts I was unable to get her attention, the sea was roaring and the wind made it impossible for my voice to do anything but disappear. Amanda was acclimatised and looked good, however the journey back was going to be far from easy. I began to feel the cold and could no longer sight any of the others, then suddenly I swam into what felt like an icey stretch of water...I was, for a moment, cold to the bone, then without warning something very strange...I felt like I was over heating, I needed to take off my cap, I was burning up. I was able to recognise that this was a danger sign of hypothermia. I felt faint but managed to talk myself into NOT taking off the cap, I began to worry intensely about Amanda, I was convinced she was in trouble. This was serious.

I lay on my back, getting battered my the swell and chop.. I decided the best course of action was to backstroke, this way I could breathe easily, could continue to look for the others without the need to stop and perhaps more importantly could generate some heat and make progress to land.

After what seemed liked an eternity I was tossed about in the breakers and hobbled up the sand, Joe had just landed but there was no sign of the girls, I expressed to him my concerns and was actually pleased to see the arrival of a coastguard truck. I rushed to the car, got dressed and started to get some hot fluids down my neck when to my ecstatic joy I saw Amanda speaking with the coastguard. (a concerned member of the public had called them after seeing us enter the water and failed to see our return) Once dressed Amanda joined me in the warmth of my car, I gave her a hug and almost burst into tears such was my relief that she was safe.

My own recovery took rather longer than normal but soon we were all home, dry and warm. A few reminders today regarding the importance of briefings, safety measures, lack of sleep, air temperature, swimming in groups etc.

A swim that under normal circumstances only ever takes 45-50 minutes had taken me an hour. A short time after arriving home I spoke with the ever positive and poker faced Joe and asked what he thought...his one word reply 'Nasty' said it all.

On reflection I was reminded of Cyrise Sanders post here.

Ullswater in November

Having swam The 7 mile BLDSA Ullswater event on 30 July this year in near perfect sunny warm conditions I thought it would be a good idea to re visit once the water temperatures had started to drop..with that in mind I invited a few swimmy mates to a planned swim, to take place Sunday 6 November, the plan was a civilised start time of 12 noon and as much or as little effort as each individual wished for.

Despite lots of initial interest we ended up with just four swimmers in attendance, Amanda Bell and Jo Charlton for the girls and Dave Neal and I for the boys, creeping into the inky water just beyond the Ferry at Glenridding we swam around the first Island and up the lake for a few minutes, the sun was shining and the lake was glass like in appearance, it was somewhat cooler than the sea  but not nearly as cool as we had anticipated, 55 minutes later we returned to shore refreshed and buzzing from a pleasant swim with amazing scenery.

After much hot chocolate and cake, Jo (and her Bear Grylls boyfriend Rich) Dave (and his gaffer Sarah) left us and headed home. Amanda and I warmed up a little more before we took the plunge for a second dip, it was really tough to leave the warm clothes behind and to creep into back into the lake, much to the consternation of onlookers who openly questioned our sanity.. 35 minutes later we were back again, fully revitalised and glowing like red lobsters..

It was funny to see and feel the familiar lack of coordination and shakes return, it seems like a long time since we were experiencing these post swim symptoms of cold water back in April...overall a great day with great company..we must do it again soon. Water 51f 10.5c 90 minutes total.

Thick and Fast

The children returned to school last Monday after the the final break of the educational year, albeit will soon be the six week summer holidays. This allowed for a little more training as I continue along the road (or stepping stones as I prefer to call them), enroute to the goals for 2011.

I have developed quite a good relationship with Joe Hunter (EC Sept 2011) and together we have been swimming and laughing at the 'resort' of Seaton Carew near Hartlepool, the water up North is a little cooler than that of the English Channel therefore the time spent on the sessions is obviously nowhere near that of Freda's gang at Dover. That said, we have been making some excellent progress whilst shuffling our everyday work and family issues.

Monday 6 June 1hr 15mins @ 54f/55f
Tuesday 7 June 1hr 35mins @ 53f/54f
Thursday 8 June 1hr 25mins@ 53f

Sandettie shows the Channel in the region of 57f so this is good training for Joe (he recently swam the Eton 10km in 3h:38m and has had a three hour swim at Dover and five hours at Ellerton)

Meanwhile on Saturday I travelled together with KGB, Charlie and Lottie to the Lake District in order to meet with Andy Williams, the purpose of the rendezvous was to have a test swim to assess our pace and to discuss some of the finer details of the planned 2 Way Windermere. We were invited by Thomas Noblett to base ourselves at the delightful Langdale Chase where we were allowed full use of his swimming facilities including kayaks, jetty, changing areas etc.

Andy and I swam for an hour (59f /15c) from the Jetty at the hotel to Holme Crag, accompanied by his wife Ruth in her own sit on kayak, therefore our safety was never an issue, afterwards we warmed up in the the sunshine overlooking the lake from the beautiful hotel grounds where we were spoilt by Thomas providing us fresh coffee with scones, whipped cream and jam..heaven! After some navigation talk and general planning we left for a few hours in Ambleside before the usual 100 mile drive home, before I end this piece I should say a massive thank you to KGB for her continued support and to Thomas who could not have done more to assist....Top man.

Once home I broke most of the pre swim event rules by having a few glasses of red wine, a large hot curry and a late night (for me) watching Forrest Gump..I say pre swim as Sunday I was entered in the BLDSA Wykeham Championships.

Rising early enough to try and fail to eat breakfast, I drove the 65 miles or so towards Scarborough whilst Charlie spent some time with Grandad, it was lovely and sunny with just a little breeze, far better than the prediction. On arrival it was great to see Mark Blewitt, Nuala (Stop Talking) Muir-Cochrane, El Capitan Mark Pashby and his trusty side kick Darren as well as Jo and Amanda from Ellerton who were competing in their first BLDSA event.

I was keen to get started and return home to Charlie and was therefore a little disappointed with delayed start time,  however the 5 laps each of 1000m were soon underway, the conditions were good with the water at 60f/15.5c a little surface chop but nothing like the sea. My goal as with all of these events is firstly to finish and secondly to endeavour to complete in somewhere near to last years time of 1h:41m:12s, (the course is plotted using GPS to ensure accuracy), I was very pleased and surprised to complete my 5km in 1h:37m:45s so age has not taken too much out of me........yet. Thanks to all the safety paddlers and to Dee and Liane for running the show.

Congratulations to Amanda, Jo, Pash and Darren who all completed their swims.

As stated I was in a bit of a rush so departed prior to the awards ceremony, in fact, I was in so much of a rush that I left without my tracksuit bottoms, it was only a few miles up the road I realised I was in fact driving home in speedos with a towel around my waist (I am so pleased I didn't get pulled for speeding!)

The events seem to be coming thick and fast now with The Champion of Champions event this Saturday..so to finish and continue the Tanni GT vocalisation...I am hoping for 2h 50m 5 miles, 1h 40 3 miles, 35 mins 1 mile..fingers crossed.